Restaurants are always opening and closing in London and at the moment it seems like new restaurants are lucky to make it past the six month mark.
That’s why my favourites will always be the classics, which I return to again and again: Hakkasan, Nobu, Roka and Zuma. These places always deliver and tick all the boxes in terms of food, atmosphere, style and service.
But sometimes a little gem opens up that really surprises me, and I just know that it will stand the test of time…
With Mr Silver’s Vegas stag next weekend, and my hen party the weekend after, we knew that we would be apart for a while. So a special date night was on the cards! And the venue would be Chotte Matte, a Japanese and Peruvian fusion restaurant that I’d been keen to try.
And for a special night, a new outfit was called for!
I love this sunny coral skirt from Maje and I thought the grey jewelled vest complemented it nicely. The shoes are my brand new Louboutins, which I just love!!
As soon as we walked in we knew we were in for a good night; the place was packed! Cool graffiti covered the walls and balls of light hung from the ceiling.
Chotto Matte was clearly the place to be in Soho on a Saturday night.
A happy Mr S loved the place!
A stairway to foodie heaven led to the up to the dining room.
As you enter the dining room you’re greeted by the exciting sights and enticing smells of the open kitchen and robata grill.
The upstairs room was also packed and buzzing, with the graffiti theme continued on the walls. The artwork on the upper two floors was created especially for the restaurant by London graffiti artist, Tom Blackford; the unique design concept is unlike anything I’ve seen in London.
The cuisine at Chotto Matte is Nikkei, a term which isn’t exactly familiar! Nikkei are Japanese emigrants and Nikkei cuisine is a fabulous mash up of Japanese and Peruvian food that is now becoming incredibly popular in London.The restaurant offers several different set menus as well as a full a la carte. Decisions were difficult as I wanted to try everything but we settled on a set menu and ordered padron peppers in miso to nibble on while we waited.
I’m a big fan of these spicy peppers and Chotto’s Matte’s Nikkei version were delicious. The light miso dressing gave a touch of sweetness.
Tuna tartar, always one of my favourites, but the addition of tomato made it quite different to the Japanese version and we enjoyed it every bit as much.
Scallop tiradito; scallop sashimi, coriander, jalepeno with lemon and lime juice. Mr Silver’s favourite dish and utterly delicious!
I was definitely enjoying myself!!
Sea bass ceviche with sweet potato, Peruvian corn and citrus sauce. You may remember my addiction to Peruvian corn from my posts on Ceviche and Andina. Needless to say I loved this dish!
Prawn spring roll with shiitake, yuzu, shiso and ponzu salsa. These were another hit! The spring rolls were crisp, light and non-greasy. Totally delicious!
Black cod in yellow chilli miso; a delicious Peruvian version of this Japanese classic.
Lamb chop with quinoa, coriander, Peruvian chilli miso
Chicken, coriander potato and Peruvian chilli. Both dishes had been cooked on the barbecue and chargrilled over hot coals.
A delicious sushi selection
Some fabulous maki rolls.
And for dessert, the chef sent over his very best…
Chotto cheesecake with poached ginger plum and cherry ripple ice cream.
Salted caramel chocolate fondant, orange compote and vanilla ice cream. A beautiful plate!
After dinner we had a real treat. We were introduced to Chotto Matte’s fantastic chef, Jordan Sclare. Jordan has some great credentials behind him, as head chef at Nobu, Park Lane, Aqua Kyoto and at Buddha bar as well as stints working with Gordon Ramsay at the Savoy.
We were than lucky enough to be given a tour of the kitchen.
And we were introduced to some of Jordan’s fellow chefs whom also had the Nobu pedigree.
While Jordan explained to us how he sources the very best ingredients, ensuring all the sushi comes from sustainable sources.
So ended our fantastic night at Chotto Matte; it’s now up at the top with our favourite restaurants!
It’s perfect for a fun night out with friends or for a more lively date night; it’s also excellent value for money. Mr Silver still hasn’t stopping raving about how much he loved it!
Chotto Matte
11 – 13 Frith Street
London,
W1D 4RB
020 7042 7171
